Research/Publications

Research/Publications

The American Governor: Power, Constraint, and Leadership in The States
This book includes chapters on research conducted under grants from Eagleton's Center on the American Governor. It brings together a broad range of research on governors in the American states, examining governors as potentially powerful leaders who are subject to a range of constraints, as well as considering how individual governors may choose leadership paths that either enhance or detract from that power. Edited by David P. Redlawsk, the book offers new models of the interactions between executives and other players within the states, examines the rhetoric of governors as a leadership tool, and generally puts new and interesting emphases on governors with both detailed individual cases and larger-N studies. Governors are the political leaders of their states, with a range of powers and also constraints that differ from state to state and time to time. This very range makes the study of governors fertile ground for better understanding the American political system and the important role federalism plays in determining how policy develops and changes at all levels.

Navigating Gendered Terrain: Stereotypes and Strategy in Political CampaignsKelly Dittmar addresses how gender is used to shape the way campaigns are waged by influencing insider perceptions of and decisions about effective campaign messages, images, and tactics within party and political contexts. Through a survey of political consultants and interviews with candidates and campaign practitioners, Dittmar analyzes how professional perceptions of voters' gender stereotypes matter prior to Election Day and how different expectations for female and male candidates inform decisions about candidate presentation and campaign strategy.